Dig Different

Handy Plumbing Man’s name may suggest clogged drains, leaky faucets and fixture repairs — and the San Carlos, California-based company certainly handles those calls. But beneath the surface, the company has built a rapidly growing underground division focused on trenchless pipeline rehabilitation, pipe bursting and solving the infrastructure problems that traditional plumbing calls often uncover.

Shop Talk Smart Construction Equipment Is Changing Job Site Safety From intelligent machines to AI-powered safety systems, the latest construction technology is helping crews work smarter, safer and more efficiently on every job site August 27, 2026

Horizontal directional drilling demands tooling that can survive brutal subsurface environments while maintaining surgical precision. Enter the ADTECH Motors Tornado. Purpose-built for all-terrain/dual-rod drilling systems, the Tornado is engineered to maximize drilling efficiency by transferring mechanical power directly from the rig’s inner rod to the drill bit.

Sept. 15-18: Safety-Damage Prevention Conference, The Brown Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky. Visit nuca.com Sept. 21-25: International Pipeline Conference & Expo Conference, BMO Centre at Stampede Park, Calgary, Alberta. Visit ipceyyc.com Sept. 22-24: Tunneling Short Course & Risk Management in Underground Construction, ASU SkySong Center, Scottsdale, Arizona. Visit tunnelingshortcourse.com Sept. 26-30: 99th Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans.

My husband and I share the addiction of entrepreneurship. It’s thrilling (and exhausting) to launch businesses. We’ve fallen flat on our faces at times, but we agreed early on that wallowing and judgment won’t move us forward. Instead, we see mistakes as a type of tuition in our ongoing DIY entrepreneurial educational journey.

Omega Liner announces Mark Hallett as CEO Omega Liner Company has appointed Mark Hallett chief executive officer. Hallett brings 45 years’ experience in the trenchless infrastructure, utility and pipeline rehabilitation industries. He began his career in trenchless technology, applying cement mortar lining to water mains and has since held senior leadership roles with Omega Liner, Vortex Companies, SAERTEX multiCom Group and Miller Pipeline.

Air Excavation RAMVAC Vacuum Excavators by Sewer Equipment Tempest The Tempest industrial air mover from RAMVAC Vacuum Excavators by Sewer Equipment is capable of removing dry and liquid materials over a long distance and from great depths. This unit delivers maximum vacuum efficiency even in the toughest working conditions.

Cat Pumps Model 660 plunger pump The Cat Pumps Model 660 plunger pump has been a proven choice for hydroexcavating, industrial jetting and heavy-duty washdown for decades. Built with Cat Pumps’ original triplex plunger design and field-proven components, the 660 delivers 10 gpm at 3,000 psi in a compact, durable package engineered for continuous service. Its versatility simplifies installation.

Over the past couple of weeks, I traded my keyboard for a magnetic locator and spent many hours walking fields, roads and open spaces at the Hodag Country Festival grounds in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. My mission was simple: find small pieces of metal pipe buried in the ground. These were not large markers. Each piece was only about 3 inches long and roughly an inch in diameter.

Construction equipment is no longer just about providing the brawn crews need to get work done. Today’s equipment also has the brains to help crews work more efficiently and safely, taking some of the pressure off of stressed-out and oftentimes inexperienced workers.